


Through the Eye of Horus

by Valentina_Ivan



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Ancient Egyptian Deities, Ancient Egyptian Literature & Mythology, Angst, Brotherly Bonding, Castiel To The Rescue, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Illnesses, Protective Sam Winchester, Sick Dean Winchester
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-15
Updated: 2017-04-15
Packaged: 2018-10-19 02:31:37
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,292
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10630311
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Valentina_Ivan/pseuds/Valentina_Ivan
Summary: The Winchesters head to a small town in Nebraska to investigate a deadly illness. When Dean catches it, Sam, Bobby and Castiel race to find answers as Dean's life hangs in the balance.





	

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first Supernatural fic, so please be kind. I admit I took a few liberties with the mythology to make them fit the story. As always any comments or criticism is appreciated as I am always looking to improve. Enjoy!

There was only one road that led into town, a single two lane covered in potholes, the Impala jumped and shook as Dean tried to miss the larger ones.  
“There better not be any damage to my baby from this thing.” He groaned as he swerved the Impala around a larger pothole, only for the back end to hit a cluster of smaller ones. “What’s going on here again?”  
“I already told you, Dean.” Sam sighed from the passenger seat pulling out the papers he had already collected about the case. “12 people in the last week, all get sick suddenly, like really sick. High fevers, chills, it’s like the flu on crack. 4 people have already died.”  
“And how do we know it’s not just some nasty bug that’s going around? I mean, this doesn’t sound like our kind of thing.” Dean looked quizzically at his brother.  
“I know, it’s just…something doesn’t seem right. There’s no sign of bacterial infection, no viruses. The doctors are stumped. It just seems like there’s something else going on here.” Sam shrugged and looked out the window.  
“What though? What would cause people to get sick like this? A demon?” Dean still wasn’t sure but his brother sounded so certain.  
“I don’t know. I didn’t see anything in Dad’s journal, maybe Bobby knows something.”  
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After checking into a motel, the brothers changed into suits and headed for the local hospital.  
“Excuse me, “Dean smiled at the receptionist in the hospital and pulled out a badge. “I’m Agent Taylor, this my partner, Agent May. We’re with the CDC.”  
The receptionist glanced at their badges slightly confused. “We sent samples to the CDC, they said they couldn’t find anything.”  
“That’s why we’re here.” Dean grinned. ‘We wanted to speak to the doctors and look at the reports ourselves.”  
“You’ll want to speak with Dr. Harris.” The receptionist informed them picking up the phone.  
The brothers walked toward waiting area after thanking the receptionist. The doctor walked out a few moments later.  
“You the boys from the CDC?” He asked, extending his hand.  
“Yessir,” Dean firmly gripped his hand “I’m Agent Taylor, this Agent May.”  
“I’ll tell ya, I’ve never seen anything like it. “The doctor took off his glasses and shook his head.  
“What exactly is happening here, doc?” Dean asked.  
“I sent everything to the CDC, didn’t you boys read it before you came?” The doctor sounded skeptical.  
“Yes, sir we did.” Sam intervened before Dean could say anything else that would get them blown. “We want to hear it in your own words though.”  
“Well, it starts off just like any bug. Cough, chills, vomiting, you know. But then it gets worse, fever spikes, they start having seizures and eventually go into a coma. Already had 5 die.”  
“5?” Sam asked, confused. “Your report said 4.”  
“It was.” The doctor said solemnly. “Cara Jenkins passed this morning. Only 31 years old.” The doctor shook his head again and put his glasses back on.  
“Can we get copies of the medical files?” Sam asked.  
“Of course, Molly in reception will get you everything you need.” The doctor pointed toward the young woman at the desk they had spoken to earlier.  
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After getting the patient files, the boys headed back to the motel the sort through everything. First, they stopped at a local burger joint to grab some grub though.  
“Alright, so we’ve got 12 people with this mystery illness, 5 died from it.” Dean started as he bit into his bacon cheeseburger. “No known bacteria or virus. So, what? A ghost? A demon maybe?”  
“Well, I don’t know of many demons that would make people this sick first. They’re usually more for instant gratification.” Sam shrugged and continued leafing through the file.  
“Yeah, but there is ghost sickness, like in Rock Ridge.” Dean took another bit of his burger.  
“True, but to make 12 people sick all at the same time? That’s some serious ghost mojo.” Sam looked doubtfully at his brother.  
“Okay, so not a demon, not a ghost. Hear anything back from Bobby yet?”  
“No, nothing. He said he’d call when he had something though.”  
“So, what now?” Dean put his burger down and looked at Sam.  
“Talk to the victims’ families, I guess,” Sam shrugged. “See if there was anything that may link the victims that wasn’t in the reports.”  
“Sounds good.” Dean nodded as he finished his burger.  
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The boys spent the next few hours talking to the victims’ relatives. It was such a small town though, that all the victims knew each other and all had something in common.  
“Thank you for your time, Mr. Johnson.” Sam thanked the last family member on their list as they headed back to the Impala. “Ok, so the victims all knew each other somehow, same church or same school, or…” Sam trailed off, it was impossible to figure out what the link was.  
“Didn’t find any hotspots, cold spots, the EMF didn’t signal anything,” Dean climbed into the driver’s seat and started the engine. “No sulfur, so it’s not a demon or a ghost.”  
The boys went back to the motel. Sam was on his laptop while Dean took a shower. He couldn’t find anything to tell him what they were dealing with. There was still no word from Bobby either. For a moment, he almost wished he could call on Castiel, but that wasn’t an option, even if it was Dean that reached out to him. Sam sighed, whatever this was, looked like they would have to figure it out on their own.  
Dean emerged from the bathroom a few moments later, a towel around his waist.  
“Is it a little chilly in here?” Dean asked as he got dressed.  
“Feels fine,” Sam didn’t even look up from his laptop.  
“I’m freezing, man,” Dean pulled his jacket on as he finished.  
“Where are you going?” Sam asked, glancing up briefly, he noticed Dean’s cheeks appeared a little flushed, but he had just gotten out of the shower.  
“Nowhere, I’m cold,” Dean sat down on the bed, rubbing his hands together.  
“Dean, it’s like 60 degrees in here,” The younger Winchester looked at his brother with concern. “You ok?” he asked, raising his eyebrows.  
“I’m fine, just turn up the heat.” Dean coughed violently as he continued to rub his hands together.  
Sam was at his brother’s side in seconds, his hand immediately going to Dean’s forehead, he was burning up. “You’re on fire man,” he said, wrapping his fingers around Dean’s wrist, his pulse was racing.  
“What? No, I’m fine. It’s just from the shower,” He shrugged his brother away and tried to stand up but was overcome with dizziness. “Whoa, head rush” he said as he sank back onto the bed.  
“Maybe you should lie down,” Sam gently pulled his brother back on the bed, helping him to lie down.  
Before Dean could protest, Sam’s phone rang, Bobby’s name appeared on the screen.  
“Please tell me you got something Bobby,” Sam tried to keep the panic out of his voice.  
“Well, you didn’t give me much to work with,” Bobby started on the other end.  
“Did you find anything?” Sam’s voice growing more panicked as he looked as his brother, who had begun shivering. Sam covered him with a blanket before walking into the kitchenette.  
“Yes, “Bobby said exasperated, “Would you give me a minute? Idjit. From what I found, the symptoms match the venom of the Hottentotta tamulus.”  
“The what?” Sam shook his head confused.  
“Hottentotta tamulus, also known as the Indian Red Scorpion.” Bobby explained. “They are found mostly in Africa and Asia.”  
“Scorpions? Bobby we’re in Nebraska. How would it get here?” Sam was growing more confused.  
“I know where you are, idjit. Did the medical reports mention anything about a bite or sting though?” Bobby asked.  
“No, nothing.” Sam was still watching his brother, his concern growing more and more. Hopefully Bobby knew how to cure it.  
“I’m not sure on a cure, since we don’t know what’s causing it or how it got into the victims. Also, even if it was from a sting, antivenom only has a 4% survival rate.”  
“We have to find something Bobby. “  
“What’s going on Sam?” Bobby had noticed the increasing concern and urgency in Sam’s voice.  
“Dean has it.” Sam sighed, looking at his brother again, still shivering violently under the blanket.  
“What do you mean, “Dean has it”?” Bobby demanded.  
“He’s showing the same symptoms as the other victims, right now It’s just fever and chills, but we know that it gets worse.”  
“Alright, sit tight. I’ll be there in a few hours. “  
“Bobby, you don’t have to come. I can figure this out.”  
“The hell I won’t. You need to be with your brother, and this thing still needs solved. I’d give my left nut to keep anything from happening to you boys.” Bobby was already in his truck and heading to the interstate. “Just sit tight, and let’s hope Dean can hold on that long.”  
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Bobby arrived early the next morning, having driven all night. He went straight to the boys’ motel.  
“How’s he doing?” He asked after Sam let him in.  
“Not good. His fever’s gotten higher, I tried to get him to at least drink some water, but he can’t keep it down. He hasn’t had any seizures yet, but if it’s like the others, he will have very soon.”  
Bobby went to older Winchester, he was laying in the bed, writhing under the blankets. Sam had taken his coat and flannel off during the night, as Dean’s fever grew higher, now he was just in his t-shirt and pair of sweatpants.  
“Hey Dean,” Bobby said, surprisingly gently. “You hang in there, we’re gonna find a way to make you better.” He placed his hand on Dean’s chest, felt his heart racing. They didn’t have much time.  
Bobby went to the table by the window and sat down. Sam joined him a few minutes later, handed the older man a beer before taking the seat opposite him, still watching Dean.  
“So, what do have?” Sam started, deciding to look at this like any other case. Except it wasn’t, Dean’s life depended on them finding what was doing this. “we know that it’s scorpion venom, and that it’s not caused by a sting. How could it get into their bodies then? Maybe something they ate? I mean that would explain why the symptoms take so long to take full effect. This type of venom usually kills within hours. If it was ingested though, it might slow it down.”  
“How is it being ingested though? It would have to be something all the victims, including Dean, ate or drank. What did you boys have since you came to town?” Bobby asked.  
“Not much, we stopped at a local burger place yesterday before coming here. That has to be where it happened. But how? If it were there, then wouldn’t there be more people getting sick?”  
“I don’t know, but I do know that’s where we look first.” Bobby said, standing up. Sam started to stand as well, Bobby placed a hand on his shoulder. “I’ll go, you stay with Dean. He can’t be here alone.”  
Sam nodded as they both looked at the prone form on the bed. He had kicked the comforter off and was now only under the sheet, his t-shirt was soaked in sweat. He started coughing violently, sounding almost like he was choking. Sam and Bobby were at his side instantly, propping him up to make it easier to breathe, Sam began rubbing his back as Bobby got another glass of water, hoping he would keep this one down.  
Finally, the coughing subsided. Bobby stood and headed for the door.  
“I’ll be back as soon as I can.” He looked at the boys one more time before heading out the door, turning quickly so Sam didn’t see the single tear slide down his cheek.  
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Sam stayed next Dean, watching him sleep. He wasn’t sure what to do to help. He no other leads until Bobby came back, plus he was right, they couldn’t leave Dean alone. He hated feeling so helpless though.  
“Sammy?” Dean whispered.  
“I’m right here Dean,” Sam gently squeezed his brother’s hand.  
He stood, going back to his laptop to see if there was anything else they may have missed. As he stood though, Dean made a strange sound, then his entire body began shaking, violently convulsing under the sweat soaked sheet. Sam quickly pulled the sheet away to keep his brother from getting tangled, he watched agonized as the convulsions continue, knowing he can’t do anything to stop them.  
The seizure seemed to last for hours, but was really on a few minutes, after which Dean’s body began to slowly relax. Sam gently turned Dean on to his side. He slipped his hand into Dean’s, brushing back the soaked hair clinging to his older brother’s forehead. Dean shifted slightly, letting out a soft moan.  
“Shhh, it’s alright. Go to sleep.” Sam softly whispered. He wanted to be able to do something, anything to help his brother. There was nothing he could do though. Again, he considered calling on Castiel, but knew he wouldn’t come, not after their last encounter. Sam sighed as he continued to hold on to Dean’s hand, not wanting to let go.  
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Sam woke a few hours later, he must have dozed off at some point, his head resting on Dean’s chest. The sun was coming in bright through the window into the darkened room, Sam looked at his watch, it was 3:40 in the afternoon. Where was Bobby?  
He didn’t have too much time to wonder though.  
“Hello, Sam” A familiar gruff voice said from behind him.  
Sam turned, surprised to see Castiel standing by the door.  
“Cas, what are you-? Why are you here?” Sam stammered, shocked he was there.  
“Dean needs help,” The angel said walking over to the bed.  
“You can heal him?” Sam looked hopefully at Cas.  
“Your brother’s illness, like all the others, is being caused by Apophis.” Castiel explained.  
“Okay, so can you get rid of it?” Sam asked, his hope beginning to waver.  
“You do not understand, Apophis is not an “it” that can be gotten rid of. He is a deity, and a powerful one at that. I cannot stop what he has already begun.” Castiel continued.  
“So, what? We do nothing? Cas, you can’t just let Dean die. Not like this. “Sam was almost pleading.  
“No, your brother is not going to die. We need her, she is the only one that can control Apophis.”  
“Her who?” Sam’s voice turned to confusion.  
“Serket.”  
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Bobby arrived at the restaurant and discovered they didn’t open for a couple more hours. They had no more leads and Sam was looking after Dean, so Bobby decided to catch a little shut-eye. He slept fitfully though, he was too worried about Dean. He loved those boys like his own sons, and the idea that one of them was suffering so much and may die, was almost too much. His mind kept wandering to what would happen if they didn’t find the answer in time, if Dean really did die this time. He finally drifted off to sleep.  
When he woke, the parking lot was starting to fill up, he looked at his watch, it was past 2pm. He got out of his truck, straightened his suit and headed into the restaurant.  
“I need to speak to the manager,” Bobby told the teenaged boy behind the counter.  
“Something I can help you with sir?” The young man’s voice wavering slightly.  
“Yeah, you can help by getting your manager.” Bobby said gruffly. The boy nodded and ran to the back.  
A few moments later, a young man in his mid-twenties came out behind the boy.  
“Can I help you?” He asked, looking quizzically at Bobby.  
“Agent Stone, I’m with the FDA, there have been a few complaints, need to look at your kitchen.” He held up his fake FDA badge.  
“Complaints?” The young man appeared confused. “About what?”  
“We’ve received numerous reports that the kitchen here may be operating under less than sanitary conditions.” Bobby informed him.  
“I can assure you sir; our kitchen is more than sanitary.” The young manager began to protest.  
“Let me judge that.” Bobby said, walking around the counter.  
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“Ser- who?” Sam had no idea who Castiel was talking about.  
“Serket, the Healing Goddess.” Castiel said simply.  
“And she can save Dean? Great. What do we need?”  
“It’s not like that Sam.” The angel sighed. “Serket isn’t an angel or a demon that can be summoned simply by some ritual. She is a deity, a goddess. She doesn’t simply answer to a summons, she must be convinced that she needs to come and to do that we must find her first.”  
Sam began to ask how they would find her, but he didn’t have a chance. At that moment, Dean started seizing again. The convulsions ripping through his body, violently shaking him against the mattress. Sam pulled the blankets and sheets away again, he looked at Castiel, his eyes pleading.  
“Cas please, can you at least make this stop?” Sam begged.  
Castiel was watching Dean with a look of horror in his eyes. He went to Dean’s side, placed his hand on Dean’s shoulder. After a few seconds, the seizing stopped, again Dean’s body slowly relaxed.  
“Thank you, Cas. Thank you.” The relief in Sam’s voice was evident.  
“Your brother is still gravely ill, Sam. I only stopped the seizure. I cannot take away his sickness though.”  
“Right, Serket. So where do we find her?” Sam asked.  
“You don’t, I will have to find her. Stay with Dean.”  
Before Sam could ask anything else, Castiel had disappeared. He sighed and started to sit back down next to Dean, when he noticed the dampness on his brother’s pants, his bladder had failed during the last seizure.  
“Ok, Dean, you’re not going to like this.” Sam took a fresh set of clothes out of Dean’s bag. Gently, he changed his brother’s clothes and moved him to the other bed while he waited for housekeeping to bring new sheets and blankets.  
Once he had Dean settled into the bed and changed the sheets on the other one, he sat down at his laptop again. He wanted to know who this Apophis and Serket were. After few quick online searches, he pulled out his phone to call Bobby.  
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Bobby had spent close to an hour inspecting the kitchen and talking to the employees. He still didn’t notice any cold spots; the EMF didn’t pick up anything and still no sulfur. The employees didn’t seem to notice anything unusual and none of them seemed suspicious.  
Finally, he gave up and decided to head back to the motel, he wanted to know how Dean was doing also. His phone rang as he was getting into his truck, it was Sam. The older hunter swallowed hard, expecting the worst when he answered.  
“Yeah Sam? Is Dean alright?” He could feel his throat tightening on the words.  
“Yeah Bobby, Dean’s okay, at least as much as he can be. Anyway, listen. Castiel was here.” Sam started.  
“Castiel? Wouldn’t expect him to be there.” Bobby interjected.  
“Me neither. But Bobby, he knows what, or rather, who is causing this. There’s this Egyptian god, Apophis, he’s the god of chaos. Cas thinks that this Apophis is the one making everyone sick.” Sam explained.  
“Great, so do we know where to find this Apophis?”  
“No, but that’s not all. According to Cas, the only one that can stop him and make Dean better is Serket, the Egyptian healing goddess.”  
“And do we know how to summon her?”  
“That’s just it, Cas says that because she’s a goddess she can’t be summoned. Not the way that angels and demons are anyway. She has to be found and convinced to come. Cas has already started looking for her.” Sam finished.  
“Alright, well I’m done here and heading back to the motel.” Bobby told him. “How’s Dean?”  
“Not good Bobby. I’ll fill you in when you get back.”  
Bobby hung up and started his truck. He tried to ignore the tears in his eyes.  
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“He’s started having seizures.” Sam told Bobby when he returned.  
“That’s not good. We’re running out of time. Couldn’t Cas do anything?” Bobby asked.  
“He was able to stop the second seizure, but he said he couldn’t cure Dean because this Apophis is a god and he can’t stop what Apophis has already started, only this Serket can.” Sam explained.  
“Sam, if Dean is having seizures, then maybe you should think about getting him to a hospital.” Bobby told him.  
“For what Bobby? He doesn’t have just some normal, run of the mill illness here. The doctors at the hospital don’t how to treat the patients they have. What are they going to do for Dean?” Sam argued.  
“Well for one, they can at least make him more comfortable, alleviate some of his symptoms.” Bobby started.  
“No Bobby. He’s not going anywhere, he’s staying here. There’s nothing they can do for him. I already lost him more times than I want to think about. It’s not going to happen again.” Sam felt the blood rise in his body. He didn’t care, he wasn’t going to lose his brother. Not again.  
“Sam- “Bobby shook his head. He knew Sam was trying to help his brother, but sometimes let his emotions get in the way.  
“Sammy?” Dean called weakly from the bed.  
“Hey Dean, I’m right here. Bobby’s here too.” Sam sat next to him, placed his hand on Dean’s shoulder.  
“Hey Bobby,” Dean’s eyes started to flutter open, he had another coughing fit though. His body shook with each cough, gasping for breath in between. Sam sat him up, rubbed his back.  
“Take it easy, Dean. Just relax, breathe.” Sam told him encouragingly. Bobby handed him a glass of water. Sam gently supported his brother while he took a few sips. The coughing slowly subsided. “Breathe Dean, just breathe.”  
Sam continued to rub his back for several minutes, whispering encouragement to his brother. He hated seeing him like this, wanted to do more, to take away the illness. He knew he would just have to wait for Castiel though. He didn’t know how the angel had found out about Dean, but knew that he wouldn’t let him down, regardless of things past.  
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Sam was growing restless, it was getting later and later and they still hadn’t heard anything from Castiel. He started to think what would happen if Castiel couldn’t find Serket, or if he found her, but she refused to come. Then what? They had no idea who they were looking for. Apophis could be anywhere, anyone.  
Dean only had a couple more bad coughing fits, and had kept the water down. Sam saw that as a good sign, though his fever was still high. Sam had tried to bring it down, using a damp cloth on Dean’s forehead. It didn’t seem to help much though. Sam felt himself starting to doze off, Bobby was already asleep in the chair. He finally settled onto the bed next Dean’s and drifted off.  
He woke just a few hours later, Bobby was still sleeping. He looked over at Dean, who seemed to be peacefully sleeping, almost too peaceful. Sam felt his forehead, he was still burning up and his breathing seemed to be becoming ragged. Sam had a terrifying thought, he called his brother’s name, nothing happened so he grabbed a flashlight out of his bag, shined it in Dean’s eyes, there was no response. He pulled his out his pocket knife, after mumbling a quick apology, he poked Dean’s finger, hard. Still nothing. Sam began to panic, Dean had slipped into a coma. If Castiel didn’t come through soon, Dean would die.  
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Bobby woke not long after. Sam told him that Dean had gone into a coma overnight, the fear shone immediately in Bobby’s eyes. They had to do something. Sam went outside to get some air.  
“Hello Sam,” Sam almost thought he had dreamed Castiel’s voice behind him until he turned around. The angel was standing behind him, his trench coat torn and dirty, traces of blood showed around his nose. Next to him was a beautiful woman, with long black hair and golden scorpion around her neck. “This is Serket, took a while longer to find her than I thought.”  
“Castiel. What happened?” Sam asked, appraising Castiel’s more rumpled than usual appearance.  
“It’s a long story. How is Dean?”  
“Not good Cas. He slipped into a coma. We don’t have much longer.” He turned to the goddess next to Cas, “Castiel says you can help my brother. Please?”  
“We must find Apophis, I must know how he did this before I can help your brother.” She explained.  
“How do we do that? Cas says we can’t summon him, so how do we find him?” The despair was evident in Sam’s voice.  
“Let’s go inside, we can talk more freely there.” Cas suggested. He and Serket followed Sam into the motel room. Bobby stood as they entered.  
“You found her?” He asked, looking at Serket.  
“Yes, I found her.” Castiel answered simply.  
“So, you’re going to heal Dean then?” Bobby asked hopefully. His face fell when he saw Sam’s expression.  
“I’m afraid it’s not quite that simple. Though I can keep him alive, I must find Apophis first, find out what he has done before he can be healed.” She explained.  
“Why in the sam hell would you need to know how he did it? You can see that Dean is sick, that he needs help, isn’t that enough?” Bobby asked frustrated, he knew they were losing time.  
“I can help Dean, but Apophis must be the one to reverse it.”  
“So how do we find him?” Bobby asked resigned.  
“Castiel tells me there have been many victims, not just Dean. He would have to be close to affect this many people at the same time. Is there anywhere where Dean and the victims were?” She asked.  
“We went to the victims’ houses, spoke to family members, the hospital, that’s about it. We stopped at a burger joint when we got here.” Sam tried to think of anything else.  
“This burger place, would the other victims have been there as well?” She asked.  
“Probably. It’s one of the only places in town. But Bobby checked it out already, he couldn’t find anything.” Sam told her.  
“You won’t find him with usual hunter methods.” Serket told him. “Those ways do not work on us.”  
“So how would you know if he was there?” Sam questioned.  
“I’ll know, trust me.” Serket’s eyes narrowed.  
“Ok, so let’s go get him.” Sam headed for the door.  
“Sam wait,” Bobby stopped him. “Someone still needs to stay with Dean.”  
“Dean is dying Bobby. I can’t sit around anymore. I have to go.”  
“I’ll stay here,” Castiel volunteered. “You’ll have Serket with you. Her powers will be more useful than mine there. I’ll stay with Dean.”  
Sam and Bobby both looked at Castiel shocked. They didn’t expect him to volunteer to stay, not after everything that had happened.  
“Sam, whatever has happened in the past has happened. We cannot change that, Dean needs help now, regardless of that.”  
“Ok then.” Sam nodded “Let’s suit up.”  
“Wait one moment, before we go.” Serket went over to Dean’s side, placed one hand on his chest, the other on the scorpion amulet around her neck. She started speaking in an ancient language, the amulet glowed while she spoke. “Alright, let’s go.” She said firmly after she had finished.  
“Wait, what did you just do?” Sam asked, suspiciously.  
“It’s an Egyptian protection spell, to keep him from dying before we find Apophis.” Serket explained.  
With that, she walked out the door, Sam and Bobby not far behind.  
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They arrived at the restaurant just after it had opened. The three of them piled out of Bobby’s truck and went inside. The same teenage boy was at the counter, as when Bobby had been there the day before.  
“Hello again Agent.” The boy said nervously. “Is everything ok? I’ll get my manager.” He fled to the back before any of them could say anything.  
“What can I do for you now Agent Stone?” The manager asked following the boy out of the back. He froze when he saw Serket.  
“Hello, Apophis. You’ve been busy.” Serket glared at the other god.  
“Serket? How did you find me?”  
“Let’s just say, one of your victims has some “angelic” friends. Enough though Apophis. What spell are you using?”  
“I don’t know what you are talking about? What spell?” Apophis tried to look innocent. None of them bought it.  
“Enough Apophis. I know you are using a spell. Tell me which one. Your fun’s over Apophis, tell me what spell you are using and how.” She demanded.  
“It’s only Sickness curse. I just said it over a few of the burgers before they went out.” Apophis whimpered. “Only a few people got sick.”  
“One of those people you made sick is hunter you fool. You will reverse the curse and then you’re coming back with me.” Her eyes narrowed as she spoke.  
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Castiel sat beside Dean after the others had left. He knew the last time they saw each other they hadn’t parted on good terms. Castiel still cared about Dean though, wanted to help him as much as possible.  
He had been watching the brothers unseen for quite some time. He knew when they had come to this town that it would get bad, he didn’t know it would be this bad though, that Dean would become this sick. He took the rag out of the bowl that Sam had left by Dean’s bed, began pressing it against Dean’s forehead. He wasn’t sure why he should, but he had seen Sam doing it earlier.  
Castiel continued pressing the rag against Dean’s forehead. He was unnerved to see the young hunter so still and lifeless. He had never had any kind of a relationship with mortals before, had never known any of them like he did Dean and Sam. He had only been following orders when he brought Dean out of Hell, but over time they had formed an odd sort of bond. Even through all of their differences, the bond that Castiel felt towards the Winchesters didn’t change.  
As he sat there watching him, Dean’s body again began to jerk, he was having another seizure. The angel placed his hand on Dean, again stopping the seizure as he had before. As Dean’s body relaxed, and the convulsions slowed, the angel gently turned Dean onto his side, again not sure why, but had seen Sam do it and figured there must be a purpose to it. He wanted to do more, and felt anguished that he couldn’t. He was an angel of the Lord, if he couldn’t use his abilities to help those close to him, then why have them.  
It was harder for him to find Serket than he had imagined. The goddess was well hidden and protected. He eventually found her however, under the Nile River just outside Cairo. Many of the Egyptian deities had fled and began living under the Nile after Islam had taken over Egypt. They created a space between the Nile and the underworld, the life force from the river giving them everlasting sustenance. Getting into that space was difficult however, as Castiel had found out. He eventually reached it and found Serket. It took quite a bit of convincing, but she finally agreed to come with him. He sighed, there wasn’t much he could do now, just hope that Serket found Apophis in time.  
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Sam wondered why the restaurant had become so quiet as Serket spoke to Apophis. He looked around and realized that no one was moving, everyone was frozen. He looked over at Bobby, who had noticed the same thing.  
“Reverse the curse, Apophis,” Serket repeated. “You know you are not supposed to be here, among the mortals. What if they found us? You have put all of us at risk. Reverse it, now.” Anger flared in Serket’s eyes. The other god relented.  
“Yes Serket.” He whispered softly. He then began speaking in the same ancient language Serket had used at the motel. “It is done. The curse has been undone, those afflicted will no longer be sick.”  
“Good.” Serket nodded approvingly. “Now, you will return to Duat and wait for me. Your fate will be decided then.” Fear clouded Apophis’s eyes, however before he could say anything else, Serket waived her hand and he disappeared. She turned to Sam, “Now, we shall return to your brother.” She turned and headed back to Bobby’s truck, again waiving her hand as she walked out the door, re-animating the people inside.  
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They headed straight back to the motel room where Castiel was waiting for them. Sam’s heart sank when they entered and saw that Dean was still lying in bed, as motionless as before.  
“I thought the curse had been lifted, he’s not sick anymore.” Sam tried to hide the fear in his voice. He was afraid of what may have happened while they were gone, even with the protection spell Serket had used.  
“He’s not,” She said simply, walking to the bed and placing a hand on Dean’s forehead. “The fever is gone and he will recover, however you must remember that the illness took quite a toll on your brother, he is still very weak and it will take time for his body to recover.”  
Sam felt his brother’s forehead, it was cool, no sign of the fever. Serket took two small amulets out of her pocket, “Here, keep this on you, always. You and your brother.”  
Sam looked at them, they were two silver eyes. “What are these?” He asked.  
“The Eye of Horus. It is the symbol for protection and healing, it will prevent this from happening ever again.” She explained. As she spoke, she pulled a small pouch out of her pocket as well. “Take this, it is a collection of herbs. Brew two spoonsful into a tea for your brother. It will help him get his strength back faster. “She handed the pouch to Sam.  
“Thank you.” Sam told her taking the herbs.  
“The gods are favorable to you and your brother Sam Winchester. Take care, and always keep the eye with you.” With that she was gone, leaving Sam, Bobby and Castiel alone with Dean.  
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They stayed at the motel for a few more days, until Dean was strong enough to travel back to Bobby’s. He was still very weak; the illness and seizures had been hard on his body. When they finally headed back to Bobby’s, Sam had to help Dean into the backseat of the Impala. Bobby had some blankets in his truck they wrapped Dean in. He tried to protest, but was too weak.  
The drive back to Bobby’s was slow, Sam was trying to be cautious of Dean’s frail state. He’d glance in the rearview mirror every once in a while, to check on Dean, who slept most of the way.  
They stopped at a drive-thru a few hours in. Sam tried to get Dean to eat something, but Dean was still too out of it to eat very much. Soon they were back on the road.  
“Sammy?” Dean called softly from the backseat after they had been driving for some time.  
“Yeah Dean? You doing ok back there?” Sam answered, glancing in the mirror.  
“I’m ok Sammy. Thanks.” Dean was asleep again almost immediately. Sam sighed and kept driving.  
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They arrived at Bobby’s the next afternoon. Traveling was harder on Dean than he thought and had to practically carry Dean into the house. He laid him in the study while Bobby began unloading the vehicles. Sam went into the kitchen and brewed more of the herbs Serket had given him. Sam wasn’t sure if they were working or not, but he did as the goddess had instructed.  
“Dean?” Sam called softly to his brother as he brought the mixture into the study. Dean stirred slightly.  
“Sammy?” He whispered.  
“Yeah Dean. Here, you need to drink this.” He propped Dean against his chest and held the mug for him. He had let it cool before bringing it in, not wanting Dean to get burned. “Don’t drink it too fast. Just take it easy.” Sam whispered as Dean drank it.  
After he was finished, Sam gently laid Dean back down and covered him with a blanket. He was going back into the kitchen when Bobby walked in.  
“How’s he doing?” Bobby asked, peaking around the corner.  
“Hard to say. I know Serket said he would recover, but he’s still so weak and…and fragile.” Sam whispered the last part.  
“I know Sam, we just have to hope that he does recover and do what we can to help him. “Bobby handed Sam a beer and sat down at the table. “Did you talk to the hospital about the other victims?”  
“Yeah, same as Dean. Fever broke, still weak but the doctor thinks they’ll all recover.” Sam told him.  
“Good, glad to know they will get better. “Bobby nodded.  
They sat silently for a while, neither one having too much to say. The past few days had been terrifying for both of them. The thought of losing Dean again was unbearable to them both. Now that that had passed though, and Dean would likely recover, there wasn’t much else to talk about.  
“Hey guys,” A voice said from the door to the study.  
“Dean!” Sam jumped up immediately, seeing his brother leaning against the door frame. “How’re you feeling?” He gently guided his brother to the table and helped him sit down.  
“I’ve been better.” Dean winced as he sat.  
“Are you hungry? Do you want something to eat?” Sam asked, looking at his brother with concern. Bobby was already up and making Dean a sandwich before he could answer.  
“You’re gonna eat something boy,” He said, setting the plate down in front of Dean, a glass of water next to it. “No beer until you’re completely healed.” He looked at Dean sternly.  
They waited while Dean finished eating, the first time he had eaten anything substantial since he had gotten sick. After he finish, Bobby took his plate back to the sink and refilled his water glass.  
“Do you remember what happened Dean?” Sam asked finally.  
“Not really, everything’s sort of blurry” Dean told him. “I remember going to Nebraska for a case, people with some mystery illness. Not much after that, just pieces. Was Cas there?”  
“Yeah he was Dean.” Sam nodded. “Without him, we may not have been able to stop it.”  
“So, what happened? We knew it wasn’t a ghost or demon or anything like that, so what?” Dean asked.  
“Apophis, the Egyptian god of chaos.” Sam informed him with a wry grin. “Apparently, he got bored and decided to wreak a little havoc. He was impersonating the manager at that burger place we stopped at, was cursing the burgers.”  
“Seriously?” Dean looked between Sam and Bobby. “How did you figure that out?”  
“Well, that’s where Cas came in,” Sam informed him. “He knew this Apophis was the one causing the illnesses and that the only way to get him to stop was with the help of this goddess Serket.”  
“So, you summoned her?” Dean asked.  
“No. Since she’s a goddess she can’t be summoned like that. Cas had to actually go find her and convince her to go with him. She convinced Apophis to reverse his curse and make everyone better.” Sam explained.  
“So, what? She got this Apophis guy to reverse what he had done, then what? Did she gank him?” Dean asked.  
“Don’t know. After it was reversed, she said she was sending him back to this place “Duat”, which I guess is something like an underworld. Anyway, she said his fate would be decided when they returned. I wouldn’t want to be him though, she was pretty pissed.” Sam shook his head and looked over at Bobby, who just nodded in agreement.  
“Where did Cas go after he found this goddess person?” Dean asked.  
“Serket. Well, since her abilities were more useful than his with Apophis, Cas stayed with you at the motel while we went to the burger place. Once we got back and Serket confirmed you were going to get better he disappeared. Haven’t seen him since.” Sam shrugged.  
They sat and talked about the case a while longer, filling Dean in on some of the other details, Sam decided not to tell Dean about changing his clothes for him after one of the seizures or why. Finally, they headed into the living room. The Magnificent Seven was on television.  
Sam helped his brother into the other room. Dean protested at first, saying he could manage on his own, but after a few steps, was overcome with dizziness. Sam grabbed his arm to keep him from falling and guided him to the couch.  
About halfway through the movie, Dean fell asleep, his head sliding onto Sam’s shoulder. Sam slid his brother’s head onto a pillow in his lap, while Bobby gently lifted his legs the rest of the way onto the couch. When Dean began to stir, Sam gently rubbed his arm to quiet him. Before long, Sam was asleep too.  
Bobby covered both boys with blankets and watched both of them as they slept. He cared so much about them and was grateful they were able to find a way to cure Dean. After what they had been through, all of them, Bobby didn’t think he could bear it if he had to go through losing either one again. Another tear slid down his cheek as he went upstairs.  
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The boys stayed with Bobby for a few more weeks as Dean continued to grow stronger. It was slow at first, but with the help of Serket’s herbs, he was finally strong enough to get back to his normal activities.  
He was outside working on the Impala, those damn potholes, when he heard something behind him.  
“Hello Dean.” Said the familiar gruff voice.  
“Cas?” Dean turned around surprised.  
“Yes Dean. How are you feeling?” Castiel tilted his head to one side as he asked.  
“Much better. According to my brother and Bobby I have you to thank.” Dean answered.  
“I only located Serket. Your brother is the one that looked after you.” Cas shrugged.  
“Yes, and if you hadn’t found her, I wouldn’t be here. So, thank you Cas.”  
“You do not need to thank me Dean, my part was minimal.”  
“Why did you come back though Cas? After what happened before, I didn’t think we’d ever be seeing you again.” Dean asked.  
“You needed help. We’ve had our disagreements, however there is still a bond between us and I will always do what I can to help you when you need it Dean.” Cas answered.  
Before Dean could respond, Castiel vanished again. Dean shook his head. He thought briefly about how he ended up here, in a salvage yard talking to an angel about locating an Egyptian goddess, and how strange it must seem. Finally, he put his tools away and headed back inside. Sam had gone to pick up Chinese and was heading back. However strange this life may be, he thought, it was his.


End file.
